The Luna Sage

Chapter Eleven: Imperius

After getting pizza and seeing the others in the Infirmary, we moved to the office bedroom for the next two nights.
I had nightmares every night.
Some of what Harlen had tried to do, the burning and breaking of the Shift that I didn't understand yet.
Others were of the Stain spreading like wildfire across Partos.
Consuming my town and hurting my family.
It was safe to say Adam didn't let me out of his sight.
I either sat in his office with my Witches kit, brewing potions I thought we could use in supply of including detoxes for the Stain or I was in the Infirmary helping Bev with general check ups or patient care, which at the moment was Kaleb who was still on mandatory bed rest, demanded by me, and Valik who had broken his arm trying to 'sober himself up'.
Bev had let me reset the break and I bunked him with Kaleb until we were leaving.
Thomes had avoided me, staying in the lower Pack housing and seeming to run away anytime he smelt me close by.
I felt horrible, knowing it was partly because he was afraid of me.
Or my Wolf.
If I could call her that. I knew she had been formed by magic mixing with my Mark, she was a manifestation of my bond with Adam, designed to keep me safe when no one else could.
I had felt the searing pain in my neck when Harlen had tried to remove my clothing, being stopped by me biting his face off when magic overwhelmed me with a new form and thirst.
I had killed him mercilessly, I'd enjoyed it when I slashed him open with large claws and I'd even relished consuming some of him, the thought made me nauseated.
I shook my head, focusing back on the chart Bev had given me. I pursed my lips as I read and walked into the room Kaleb and Valik were in, both were asleep as it was early morning.
I stepped between the two beds, shutting off Kaleb's drip and checking Valik's arm, removing the metal brace Bev had put around it.
The Beta's woke and watched me in silence while I worked, letting me poke and prod them to take blood samples and Kaleb only grumbled slightly when I made him show me his stab wound.
It was lightly scarred across his abdomen, but it was healthy and I couldn't detect the Stain anymore.
I nodded and patted him on the shoulder, writing on his chart.
"So, can I go now?" He finally mumbled, turning in his bed to get out.
"No," I stopped him with a hard stare, when he rotated back into the bed, I went back to Valik's arm. 
His arm had set perfectly, his rotation and sensation was intact and he beat me in a thumb war easily.
I threw his blankets back and gestured for the door.
"You can leave." I smiled at him, he gave me a hopeful look and sped out of the room while Kaleb complained.
"Why does he get to leave?" He growled, glaring at me.
I laughed and grabbed his chart, stacking it on Valik's.
"You can leave after I've brought you breakfast, I just want to check some things with your blood and then you're free." I gave him my best sympathetic smile, knowing he'd been going crazy confined for the last two days.
"You didn't answer me," he noted.
I rolled my eyes, putting the charts down on his bed and sighing.
"Fine," I said putting my hands on my hips. "Want to know how to leave here quickly?"
He nodded.
"Break your arm. Don't get stabbed." I flicked him on the forehead, retreating with the charts before he could react.
I heard him snarl after me, his chuckles following it as I ducked into Bev's office.
I handed her the labelled blood draws and put the charts on her table, I scanned the pile, looking for any others when I spotted one hiding near Bev's keyboard.
I went to grab it, but she put her hand over it, looking at me with a sad expression.
"It's Thomes." She said, giving me a sad smile.
"He's really avoiding me, huh?" I asked, feeling tears fight.
Bev stood and hugged me. "He's just scared, we all are." She held my shoulders, looking at me.
"I'm still me!" I whined, looking down at our feet. Bev and I stood in scrubs, mostly because we hadn't really left the Infirmary floor since yesterday afternoon, and rubber shoes that were both comfortable and ugly.
"I know, sweetheart, but we've never dealt with a White Wolf. They're a myth." 
"But, why is that so terrifying? Moon Bears exist." I slumped down to the ground in front of Bev. She sighed and sat in her chair, resting her arms on her knees as she looked at me.
"Yes, but Moon Bears have been seen before by the Clans, Helena has been around for almost a hundred year and there was one before her, during the War. But, no one has seen a White Wolf, ever." She seemed to be considering something before a determined expression set on her face. She stood up, slapping her leg and holding out her hand for me.
"But you're right. You're still our Luna, he needs to remember that." She pulled me up and slapped the chart into my chest, making me take it with a smile as I headed down the hall, past the supply closet and into another double bed wing.
Thomes sat on the side of one of the beds, he seemed lost in thought but stared at me when I stopped at the door.
"L-Luna?" He got to his feet and looked ready to bawl me over to leave. I closed the door behind me, gesturing him to sit back down.
"Sit down, Thomes." I said softly. He hesitated for a moment before he took the step back and sat down. I checked over his chart, my heart sinking at the listing of injuries I had given him.
"How's the ribs?" I asked, putting the chart on the bed behind me and giving Thomes the best 'mothering' look I could.
He ducked his eyes, reaching down to lift his shirt off.
The left side of his body was still bruised and marked with healing bite wounds. I bit back my guilt and pulled on gloves, starting to check the area how Bev had showed me.
He hissed slightly when I pressed into one of his ribs that hadn't set correctly. 
"I'll need to reset your rib." I made him look at me, he nodded and looked away.
I pressed my hand to the rib and using magic, I shifted the bone correctly, making Thomes yell out in pain. I eased him to lay on the bed, apologising. 
He breathed heavily but settled after I gave him an injection of a new pain elixir I'd made during the night.
His eyes glazed as the potion took hold, filling his body with healing magic.
"Woah." He whispered after a moment, his eyes returning to their soft colour. 
I smiled at him. "Think Bev will let me use it more?" I asked
He gave me a horrified look for a second. "You hadn't tested it yet?" He sat up straight, looking at the vial I had. "Luna, what the hell? That's a bit dangerous right?" 
I gave him a teasing look. "Of course I tested it, I'm petty not cruel, but got you to talk to me, didn't it?"  
He gave me an incredulous look before it softened to a shy smile.
"No more avoiding," I poked a finger at him, feeling like I was lecturing one of the Pups. "I know I scared you, and everyone else, but I'm still Miranda." He watched me for a moment while I wrote in shit chart and handed him his shirt.
"I'm sorry," he said finally. I shook my head at him and hugged him briefly.
"Now, your punishment." He stared at me in disbelief.
"My what?"
I gave him a smile. "Punishment. The Pups need someone to take them to and from school everyday while I'm gone." I pulled out the class list of all the Pups I'd walk home and handed it to him.
"Why do I have to do it? Pam's better with kids!" He whined.
"You avoided me for two days, any longer and I might have been unable to set your rib." I gave him a steady look, watching as guilt and embarrassment mingled.
"Plus, Pam will be helping Doctor Jensen while Bev and Claudia are in Imperius." I let him follow me out of the room and into the Mess Hall.
Liam was just finishing stocking the warming bench, we exchanged a smile as I sorted a tray of food for Kaleb, ensuring to double stack his breakfast burger and an extra shot of coffee.
Thomes watched me make four more trays of meals. One for Adam, him, Bev and my own.
"Did you really learn our favourite things?" He asked when I handed a tray of a bacon only burger, a berry muffin and a large energy drink to him.
I shrugged. "I've been stuck here for three days. I know what the Betas preferred cause I eat with them every morning, Adam's is easy because I just asked what he liked, but everyone  else I kinda just guess and hope." I giggled a little shyly, but he appraised the trays and nodded in agreeance to my choices, before grabbing two then looking at me unsure, I smiled as Adam stepped through the Mess Hall doors, Samson and Monte behind him.
His dark hair was dishevelled and he looked tired. He spotted me and headed straight for me, sensing his emotion I placed the trays I was holding down quickly, just in time when Adam wrapped his arm around my waist and tangled his hand into my hair.
"Hi," he whispered before meshing his lips into mine. He kissed me deeply, unashamed of the audience before breaking it to let me breathe. 
"Hi, honey." I smiled at him and handed him the biggest tray with the largest caramel latte. 
He stared over the array of meats on his plate and his eyes gleamed.
He kissed me again, raising his tray away from us before letting me go and finding a seat at one of the tables. Monte nodded to me as he shyly stacked a tray, I watched the small amount he picked, frowning.
"Don't like the food?" I asked, it was mostly fruits and the bread from the burgers.
He shrugged. "Kioren's don't eat meat." I looked across the mountains of food, realising that almost everything had meat of some kind it it. Wolves enjoyed a meaty diet.
I quickly mind-link Liam, he replied quickly and gave me a time.
"I have some fruit salads and a vegetarian quiche on the way." I smiled, he looked at me surprised for a moment before smiling back.
"Thanks, I didn't want to be a bother." He gave a shy look back at the Wolves who had gathered around the table.
Bev and Kaleb, who was ducking my eye to not be yelled at for leaving, sat either side of Adam, Thomes bringing them their trays before sitting down across from them. 
 "You don't have a home here, do you?" I asked, hoping it wasn't a sensitive topic.
Adam had told me he'd left Latos in hope of better, moving into one of the human towns in central Partos before he opened The Snake Pit with the help of the Grounds men, not realising they were using him for more than a front for their men to hide out or drink without caring who overheard them.
He shook his head. "The Snake Pit was my home, really. But after knowing what I do now, I don't have anywhere to go." He looked away as Liam appeared with a giant colourful bowl filled with fruit. He placed it in front of Monte.
"Sorry, if I knew I'd have made something else. Quiche will be another ten." He patted Monte on the shoulder, making the small man wobble slightly from the strength, giving Liam a shy smile as he left.
I looked at the back of Adam for a moment, he bit into the sandwich and turned to look at me, sensing my question.
He looked at Monte, thoughtfully chewing.
He finally looked at me and swallowed. 
"If you want to bring in strays, it's on you." He shrugged then turned to the conversation being had by the Beta's and Thomes.
I giggled, making Adam shake his head.
Looking down at Monte, he looked confused as he turned with his tray filled with fruit salad.
"If you want to stay here, we can find you somewhere to your liking?" I offered.
His eyes widened, his glamour dropped his eyes were cat-like and bright yellow.
"You mean, live in a Wolf Pack?" He swallowed hard.
"I mean, if you want to. Even if it's just until you find somewhere and I deal with the Grounds." I shrugged, I turned almost running into to Samson, who seemed to be waiting just behind me.
"How do you plan to do that?" He asked, raising a thick eyebrow.
I wove past him and went to sit between Adam and Kaleb, who shuffled quickly to give me room.
I put the pain-killer vial on the table next to Bev before I sat, then dug into my own meat sandwich. 
"What's this?" Bev asked, Thomes looked at me in surprise.
"She doesn't know?" His voice squeaked before Adam leant across to look at the vial Bev was inspecting.
"Oh, that's the painkiller she was working on last night," he said around a bit of sausage. "I think she used mushrooms."
"Right, I approved it this morning for trail," Bev suddenly nodded, she looked around Adam to me. "How'd it go? Tried it yet?" 
Thomes growled softly, glaring at me.
I gave him a playful look. "Thomes said 'woah' after I reset his rib and he hasn't bitched yet." I hid my face into my tea as Bev started to question him about his experience with it.
Monte and Samson sat either side of Thome, the large Wolf across from me.
"You can't take on the Grounds." He said firmly.
I ignored his serious expression, looking at my food. 
"If I want to stop the Stain, they have to. I don't think they'll accept a 'please stop' will suffice." I said, Samson slammed his hand on the table, his eyes darkening.
Adam stood instantly, a violent growl ripping through his chest, making the table vibrate from his contact.
I looked at Samson.
"I know what I-"
"You don't know anything!" He shouted. "They went crazy when you left, they said you died, but it was obvious something else was going on." Adam settled in his growling when he saw Samson tilt his head slightly, submission making his eyes soften to their light brown.
"What do you know?" Adam said through his teeth, sitting down and grabbing his coffee. His tone was deep and it rumbled, making everyone at the table look at Samson, most were in hard, angry stares.
Monte was the only one looking scared.
Samson spent the next hour telling me how after my disappearance, the Grounds had started to recruit the people who use to see me.
They used Samson's grief of my supposed death, hiring him as a security guard for the lower levels.
In the lower levels, they kept potential Witches they'd driven out over the years since they destroyed my Coven.
Young girls, as old as fifteen, were kept in cells in the dark. Trained with minimal access to knowledge that from what Samson retold, wouldn't be enough for any person to prove if they were a Witch or not.
There were a handful of potions a non-Witch can make just by using the right ingredients. Samson's list for the girls was every single one.
So when they were handed similar ones to what I had made, they didn't work and the girls would be punished brutally and go back to 'Training'. 
I swallowed hard, fighting back tears as he finally finished describing the lay out of the building and the routine they'd force the girls into.
Adam had asked him technical questions about their security measures, computer systems and a bunch of other things I zoned out to.
I overheard Samson mention he didn't think they'd actually captured any Witches.
Before I could stop it, a Vision overtook me
I stood in what I knew was the potential Witches holding cells.
Rows of glass chambers with strips of metal were grouped together in four cubes, spanning the entire room with at least sixteen cells, with pathways between.
Their doors were electronically sealed with thumb-print pads for access and the small child I saw to my left wore a collar of some kind. I watched the little girl stare at a piece of paper on the ground in front of her while she smashed some herbs together in a plastic bowl with her thumb.
I crouched down beside her to read the piece of paper.
It was a standard pain tonic anyone could make.
She looked around quickly, her bright blue eyes setting on a camera that rotated. She watched it turn away from her before she quickly flipped the paper to a messily scribbled list of ingredients.
My eyes widened when I read it.
"No, little one!" I managed to yell.
She suddenly stared at me and screamed, falling backwards, spilling her poison mix everywhere.
"Who are you?" She squeaked, looking around quickly to see some of the other girls in their cages look at her oddly.
A dark haired girl who looked to be maybe fourteen, got up from her bed from across the hall, she looked at the little girl before she turned to look directly at me.
She had a black eye and a split lip.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" She hissed in a whisper.
I looked around, realising the two girls could see me. 
They were Witches! 
Before I could reply to them, I was forced out of my vision gasping.
Everyone at the table and Liam, who stopped with a steaming tray, looked at me.
I breathed deeply, calming myself as best I could.
"Mira," Adam whispered, pulling me against him.
He flooded our bond with love and security, his hand coming up to wipe away tears.
"T-they have two Witches." I suddenly cried, turning into Adam, my heart tearing at the thought.
"What?" Samson hissed.
Adam threw up his hand. "I have a plan, but we have to leave for Imperius. Are you and Monte staying?" He looked between the two men, Thomes having gone for his training session with Valik.
Monte ate some the quiche Liam had piled onto his plate, giving his a sly wink before disappearing. 
"If I'm welcome." He shrugged, eating a heavy mouthful of quiche happily. 
Adam nodded and looked at Samson.
Samson had calmed himself enough that he seemed to be contemplating. I removed myself from Adam, Bev joining me.
"I'll stay, but I'm coming with you to Imperius." He went to stand but Adam shook his head.
"I need you to go to work." 
"You want me to what?" Samson snapped at Adam.
Adam seemed unphased, putting his hands in his pocket and giving Samson a casual look.
"They want to play with viruses, I can play that game too." Adam said simply, pulling out a small black USB device from his pocket and handing it to Samson.
"Any computer connected to the network will work, just plug it in, press enter, pull it out." Adam explained. "You can throw the USB away once you're done."
"How will I know it's done?" He asked as he took the device.
"You press enter." Adam shrugged. Samson stared at it for a moment, considering before he nodded at Adam, putting it in his pocket.
"Fine, I have a shift tonight." He looked at me now, his eyes softening. "Can you describe the girls?" 

Adam drove us home, we showered and changed before I left him to sort something in his office and grab our bags while I sat in the car with Bev. 
Since I'd delayed us, we'd missed our flight, so Adam decided driving to the Imperius Gate in the North-West from Argis, would be easiest since it would only take us the day to drive there.
"Are you okay?" Bev asked, looking up from her phone to look at me through the rear-vision mirror.
It made me smile to realise our hair was similar in colour.
"I'm okay, just a lot to deal with." I stretched slightly, feeling the groan of my muscles.
"You should get some sleep, we have a few hours of driving." She said, reaching in front of her to grab a full bag.
She stuffed it between the seats at me.
Taking it, I realised it was a folded pillow and one of the thick medical blankets, at the bottom was snacks and some water bottles.
"Thank you, wake me up half way and we can swap with Adam." I said as I made my bed across the backseat.
Bev chuckled. "You think you can make him sleep?" She looked back at me as I pulled out a small vial from my hoodie pocket and handed it to her.
"Put that in his water after our midway checkpoint, it'll make him drowsy enough." I smiled. Bev laughed, quickly taking the vial and hiding it as Adam joined us.
He opened my door and stuffed the bags over me into the back, leaning down and peppering my cheek with kisses.
"Sweet dreams." He whispered, closing the door and getting in the front.
I looked over the back of the seat, watching Valik and Jonathan load into the car behind us with Claudia in the back, their car filled with a bunch of boxes and other things I hadn't had a chance to look at before they were stacked into the car.
Claudia waved at me from the middle seat, squished between two towers. I wiggled my fingers back at her, feeling slightly bad for all the room I had as I laid down to nap.
My nap didn't last long, new nightmares had formed with the faces of the two child-Witches in the Grounds cells. I had to get them out, the older one seemed to be resilient, though stubborn, but the child had been making a strong poison only a Witch could know how to make.
I feared for her.
I spent a bit of time, keeping my eyes closed, trying to connect to them somehow.
I'd spread so far, desperate in my search, I'd accidently alerted Helena who called Adam almost immediately. 
Followed by Amelia.
I had spent twenty minutes in a three-way call with them, explaining what I'd seen, Adam having turned down the music he'd been playing to help me sleep.
He and Bev listened, opening a mind-link to Samson who was on his way back to the Grounds with my description of the girls.
I wasn't sure what more he was telling him, but he increased his speed enough I worried and buckled in for the first time.
We didn't stop until we reached a large carved stone that rested in the middle of a forest, a narrow row of trees leading to the opening.
It was at least twelve feet, square and ancient stone, engravings and markings etched into all sides with a large blue orb resting at the top.
I walked around the structure, marvelling at the writings across it in Mothers code. 
Adam joined me, carrying our bags and stepped onto the stone square that he revealed under a pile of leaves.
He and Valik cleared the rest of the slab, revealing more writing on the floor.
It was a teleporter portal, the orb was contained magic designed to open the portal when it was activated.
I watched the Wolves stack the boxes and luggage into the area, making sure everything fit correctly before Valik, Claudia and Jonathan stepped into the centre they'd left open.
Valik straightened and looked at the pillar.
"Omveratus." His voice boomed, the orb beamed a blinding light, lighting up the words on the pillar the stone below the Wolves feet.
The light washed over the siblings, blindingly, by the time my eyes readjusted, they and the luggage had disappeared.
I smiled brightly and bounced excitedly into the square with my pillow tucked under my arm.
Adam chuckled and shook his head as he and Bev joined me, fitting our luggage and Bev's two duffle bags around us.
The light on the orb settled and the glow died to become like polished stone.
Adam called the words for Transport in Mothers tongue, making me giddy for some reason.
The light washed over us, filling me with a warmth and flow of magic that opened my void wide to accept the flow.
I took a deep breath of surprise, feeling the expanse like my lungs shifted to make room for the new amount of magic I could hold.
When the light died off, we stood in a colosseum centre. The middle was open and stone circled by rows of seats, there were ten open large thrones, spaced out to fit about three hundred between them easily.
A tall woman sat in one of the thrones, her platinum skin gleaming in the sun that beamed overhead.
She stood, large golden wings spreading out behind her and her pearl white dress flowed around her as she floated down to the sandy floor, bowing when she got a few feet away. Her wings fluttered before tucking behind her elegantly.
She was beautiful, shining metals and her eyes were large orbs of pure silver.
"King-Alpha," she greeted in a breathy voice.
Adam bowed to her, Bev and I following.
"Queen Keaira." He greeted, glancing around. The Queen stepped aside, gesturing to a stone walkway that buried under the colosseum.
"Your Beta's are already in your quarters. Follow me." She turned and led the way into the dark tunnel.